Guide to nightlife in 1970s Merseyside is big lockdown hit

While nightclubs and drinks-only pubs are still closed, revellers are looking for some seasonal joy in a book about the area’s many brilliant old venues.

From a grabbing a granny at the Grafton, to the original Cavern, post-punk pioneers at Eric’s and Wirral’s glamorous riviera with the Chelsea Reach, Dirty Stop Out’s Guide to 1970s Liverpool looks back to a more relaxed era.

The book takes a nostalgic look at nightlife in 1970s Merseyside

This year’s lockdowns have seen unprecedented demand for her book celebrating the city’s vibrant nightlife of bygone years.

The publishers of former music writer Jade Wright’s book have struggled to keep up demand as online orders have poured in following months of shutdown.

Her book is packed full of memories and memorabilia celebrating the area in the era and features venues like the Grafton, Eric’s, the She Club and the Golden Guinea.

Jade said: “It’s been wonderful to hear so many people tell me these memories have put a smile back on their faces, at such a difficult time for so many people.

MC John at the Rotters nightblub

“Liverpool of the 1970s was an incredibly vibrant place and it was a real honour to get the help and support of so many people when I was putting it together.”

The Wirral-based author is currently finishing the book’s follow-up – the ‘Dirty Stop Out’s Guide to 1980s Liverpool’ – and she has been inundated with people sending her memories and pictures after they’ve used their time in lockdown to search out old photo albums and scrapbooks.

“The one plus factor about lockdown has been the fact people have had time on their hands,” she says.

"They’ve been digging into their old photo albums to help me with my forthcoming book on Liverpool, Wirral, Southport and all the surrounding areas in the 1980s."

The ‘Dirty Stop Out’s Guide to 1970s Liverpool’ is available for £13.95 from www.dirtystopouts.com